Improvement in hydrants



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

J. NOTTINGHAM SMITH, OF JERSEY CITY, NEVI JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN HYDRANTS.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,670, (lated November 13, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J. NOTTINGHAM SMITH, of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improved Hydrant, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification- Figure l being a side view of the hydrant when in position for iiowing; Fig. 2, a side view thereof in its closed position; Fig. 3, a central vertical section thereof as when iiowing; Fig. 4, a horizontal section in a plane indicated by the line a: w, Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a horizontal section in a plane indicated by the line y y, Fig. 3; Fig. 6, a side view of a part detached.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

The body B of the hydrant may have substantially the form indicated, its lower end being buried in the ground, so as to receive the service-pipe Gin its lower end. The dischargepipe D, with a plunger, G, attached to its lower end, has a vertical movement inside of the hydrant-body without turning therein,there bein g a guide plate or disk,f, attached to the spout, with projections g g, Fig. 4, on its periphery, which slide in vertical grooves in the inside of the hydrant-body, thereby allowing the vertical movement without allowing the dischargespout to turn. Thus the spout d of the pipe always points in one direction, whether raised or lowered.

The discharge-pipe and plunger are raised and lowered by means of a cap, A, surrounding the upper end of the hydrant-body, and provided with a handle, a, for turning it. An opening, o, in one side gives place for the spout to project, and allows the lever-cap to turn about one-half of a circle, sufficient to operate the pipe and plunger. This is accomplished by means of spiral grooves or slots P P in the sides of the cap A, working over fixed projections N N on the sides of the hydrant-body, substantially as shown. When the handle a is turned to the left, as in Fig. 1, the cap is lowered, carrying down the discharge-pipe and plunger till the valves in the hydrant are opened, as shown in Fig. 8, and the hydrant is made to flow; but when the handle a is turned to the right, as seen in Fig. 2, the discharge-pipe and plunger are raised, and the valves of the hydrant are thereby closed. A hub or washer, 11,011 the discharge-pipe, where it rests on the partition to of the cap A, lessens the friction, and the projections N N may have friction-rollers on them.

Vertical outlets t t from the spiral slots P I3 allow the cap to be put on and taken 'off from the hydrant-body. Bridge-connections u' u serve to strengthen the cap A where weakened by the slots. A pin, s, to be inserted through holes in the cap A and into corresponding holes in the hydrant-body, holds the cap A either raised or lowered. This may be so arranged as to require a key to unlock it when the cap A is fastened in either position.

The plunger G slides in a lining, I, in the hydrant., This lining may be made of zinc or other metal which will not inj uriously corrode by the action ofthe water 5 or the hydrant-body may be galvanized, enameled, or otherwise similarly lined, to prevent the rusting of the iron hydrant, so as to injure the taste of the water or cause it to stain. The lining of it with a soft met-al, like Zinc, also makes the plunger slide with less friction. I prefer this metal lining, and I attach to it a bottom disk, i, which serves for the attachment of important parts, and by inclined grooves q q in the periphery of a part, m, thereof, working over projections on the inner surface of the hydrant-body something in the manner of a bayonet-fastening, I secure the lining in the hydrant body so that it will not move out of place, but yet may be readily removed when desired. Fig. 6 shows this arrangement- From the upper side of the bottom fi projects a conical extension, o, over which the packed lower surface, l, of the plunger G ts tightly, when fully lowered, to set the hydrant running. By this fitting water-ti ght the water, as it iiows up through the pipe, cannot communicate with the space around the plunger, so as to get sand or any other obstruction therein, to lodge and render the action of the hydrant imperfect. There may be a communication, z, from this space around the plunger into the inside of the plunger, to be controlled by a valve, as shown'in Fig. 3, in order to allow a vent for surplus water, in case the packed lower surface of the plunger fits Wa ter-tight over the conical projection o, before I the plunger has entirely descended.

I employ two valves, L and M, below the plunger7 they being connected by a rod, 7c, so as both to operate simultaneously. The upper valve, L, fits against a valve-seat, p, in the bottom piece, z', and the lower valve, M, closes up against a diaphragm, r. These two valves are hollow or concave on top, so as to give sharp edges at the periphery, which bear against the valve-seats and make a perfect t.

The edges of the apertures in side ofthe valve- Seat are lined with a ring of metal, as shown, to prevent wearing away or abrading the val veseat. The valves are broad, in order to lit outside of this lining. These two valves, thus operating together, not only, by dividing the pressure on their valve-seats, lessen the wear thereof, but diminish the liability to get out of order; and should one valve fail the other insures the retention of the water, and when the working parts of the hydrant are removed for any purpose, the lower valve is always in place to keep the water from liowing. i

The lower valve-seat packing, r, is pressed down by a disk7 N, which keeps it in proper position, and guide pins or projections n n extend upward therefrom, so as to encircle the valve L and keep it in position and guide the movements of both valves. The lower valve, M, is also cent-ered in the lower chamber of the hydrant by a rim, q. A spring, d, raises the valves to their seats, and the pressure of the water upward holds the valves in close contact therewith.

The valves are opened by a pin or projection, H, extending down from the plunger G, and pressing on the upper valve, L, as the plunger reaches its lowest point. When the plunger is raised the water in the dischargepipe descends into the body of the hydrant below the plunger.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination and arrangement of the spiral grooves P l?, projections N N, and horizontal guide-opening c, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

2. The guide plate or disk j', in 'combination with the hydrant-bodyand discharge-pipe, for the purpose set forth.

3. The arrangement of the duplicate valves L and M so as both to close fully against their seats, in combination with the hydrant-reservoir and the discharge-pipe thereof, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

4. The. arrangement of the reservoir-lining.-

l, in connection with the removable reservoirbottom t', substantially as herein set forth.

5. The combination of the concave valve, the annular soft valve-seat, and the ring metallic lining thereof, substantially as and for the purpose herein speciiied. A

The above specification of my improved hydrant signed by me.

J. NOTTINGHAM SMITH.

Witnesses W. A. Es'rEs, N. E. SMITH. 

